Cutting tool maker Shape-Master Tool Co. (Kirkland, IL) needed to expand its tool grinding capability beyond that of its conventional machines or run the risk of losing work to the competition.
Many precision grinding machines on the market already offer their users near-perfect tolerances, leaving one to wonder: What’s next in grinding? But tool builders still have plenty of room to add valuable new improvements, machine shop owners say.
Many industries have been making parts with micron dimensions for some time, but in the last few years, the market for miniaturization has expanded. The demand is not only for small parts, but also for small complex features on larger parts. This is due chiefly to the switch to modules in which the functions of several parts or subsystems are not handled by a single complex unit.
As manufacturers embrace the “new normal,” advanced technologies will set organizations apart from the field.
The experience an Italian electronics manufacturer had with emerging tools provides a glimpse of a better world.
The company creates a new laser unit while releasing a new tool grinding machine.
The three keynote speakers of HOUSTEX, EASTEC, SOUTHTEC and WESTEC—the Manufacturing Technology Series—offer perspectives pertinent to manufacturers in general, but of particular use to small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Alden Tool Co. expands its presence in medical tools via precision grinding.
The deburring and finishing of machined and fabricated parts is a necessary but often disregarded step in the manufacturing process.
A burr could become a danger point in the turbine engine. Classical manufacturing processes like turning, milling and grinding can lead to burr formation and unwanted sharp edges.
